Everyone looking to get in shape can be tempted into exercise trends that promise self-improvement, fast. 
Exercise diehards today experiment with extreme fitness trends, including p90x, Insanity, hot yogalates and CrossFit. 
These generally pricier fitness programs unleash the inner workout monster in many. They require participants’ total dedication, personal motivation and coordination level.  
LEGACY analyzes the pros and cons of several popular workout routines and students’ first hand experiences with each.  
P90X
Pros 
• Variations in workouts
• Cardio + weight lifting
• Only 3 months long
• Provides a full meal plan participants can follow
• Don’t have to leave the house because the program is all video based
Cons
• Have to understand difficult fast pace movements with-out hands-on assistance from an instructor
• Strict dietary schedule
• Has a lot of rest time worked into the videos which makes it difficult to stay motivated
Experience 
“I love that p90x uses cardio and weight lifting interchangeably. I experienced long term results in increased muscle mass and significant weight loss.”
-Katie Schoenagle, petroleum engineering sophomore
Insanity  
Pros 
• Hardcore cardio is great for burning fat and weight
• Easy-to-follow 45-minute videos
• Don’t have to leave home
Cons 
• Focus is on cardio rather than gaining muscle
• Not good for knee injuries
• No weight training
• Requires self motivation
Experience 
“It’s more about what you put into it. You have to decide what you’re going to get out of it because with at home videos it’s all about self motivation.” 
-Elizabeth Knowles, biology sophomore
Crossfit  
PROS
• Workouts change daily
• Full body workout- no muscle is ever at rest
• Gym employees push participants to the max
• Sense of group/team effort by participants
• Helps build endurance & muscle mass
Cons
• Can cause injury without proper training
• High price tag compared to other gym memberships
• May seem dirty because the CrossFit gym is filled with ropes, sandbags, basic dumbbells, Olympic bars, etc.
• Have to set your own personal limits
• Required training course (for most gyms)
•Associated with rhabdomyolysis (skeletal muscle damage)
Experience 
“It really is a mental game. There are times that I don’t necessarily want to go workout, but once I’m at the [CrossFit] gym, the instructors and other people working out are constantly motivating me to push through.”  
-Bryce Bourgeois, information systems and decision sciences junior
Yogalates 
PROS
• Combination of three workouts into one (yoga, hot yoga and Pilates)
• Instructors give one-on-one advice to prevent injury
• Mainly focuses on using your own body weight and doesn’t use difficult machinery
• Increased heat elevates and benefits heart rate
• Heat also helps muscles become less likely to pull or become injured
• Total body workout in just 60 minutes- resistance training + cardiovascular training + stretching
Cons 
• Use heaters to create a 95+ degree studio
• A lot of sweating
Experience
“Even though I’ve been going steadily for about seven years, my body hasn’t become immune. The workouts in the studio are constantly changing every week.” 
-Mauriel Brien, communication studies senior